“
I am supremely confident that
we will continue to make rapid
progress in the future. ”

AACR PRESIDENT, 2014–2105,CARLOS L. ARTEAGA, MDAmerican Association for Cancer Research XIwhich will spur the development of many more anticancertherapeutics and new uses for our current treatment arsenal.

Great strides have been made toward improved cancerprevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and, in certaincases, cure. However, some groups of individuals—inparticular, racial and ethnic minorities—experiencenotably higher incidence of some types of cancer thanthe general population and/or su;er signi;cantlypoorer treatment outcomes. As research increases ourunderstanding of the many complex and interrelatedcauses of cancer health disparities, we will be able todevelop and implement new interventions that willtransform lives, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender,socioeconomic status, and place of residence.

A Prescription for Increasing the Rate
of Progress Against Cancer

Federal support for the NIH and NCI has facilitated
extraordinary progress against cancer. It has also catalyzed
an explosion in our knowledge of the biology of cancer and
understanding of how to apply this knowledge to provide
new ways to reduce the burden of this disease. Despite these
opportunities, many challenges must be overcome if we are
to realize our goal of defeating cancer.

First and foremost, we must continue to pursue a
comprehensive understanding of the biology of cancer at
all stages and to develop new approaches to translating this
knowledge into health care advances that will save lives.
To do this, we must make investing in biomedical research
a national priority. Only by investing in research talent,
tools, and infrastructure and by advancing policies that
drive innovation and the translation of new knowledge
for the bene;t of patients will we be able to capitalize on
past federal investments in biomedical research and seize
opportunities to forge ahead to the day when cancer is
removed as a major health threat to all.

AACR CALL TO ACTION

We are now at a crossroads in our country’s long struggle
to prevent and cure cancer; we must choose between two
paths, but there is only one viable path forward to continue
transforming lives.

On the viable path we seize the momentum at this exciting
time in biomedical research by committing to budget
increases for the NIH and NCI so that the remarkable
progress of the past can continue at a rapid pace.

To take the alternative path is simply unacceptable. ;is
particularly dangerous path leads us to a place where federal
funding for biomedical research remains stagnant or, even
worse, declines, seriously jeopardizing the rate at which
we are able to make progress. On this path, breakthroughs
and discoveries will be slowed, meaning that delivery of the
cures that patients and their loved ones desperately need
is delayed. Early-career researchers may be forced to leave
science for other ;elds, further jeopardizing continued
future progress.

;e AACR respectfully urges Congress to do the right thing
for cancer patients and our nation and choose the only
viable path forward, which is to:

Prioritize the growth of the NIH and NCIbudgets at a predictable, robust pace byproviding annual budget increases at leastcomparable to the biomedical inflation rate.

Rededicating our country to the promise of biomedical
research requires strong leadership from the administration
and Congress. It also requires a commitment from all
Americans to support federal funding for biomedical
research and to communicate this view to policymakers.

As a country we must set priorities and make di;cult
choices at this ;scally challenging time in our history. Our
federal government can do no better than invest robustly in
the NIH and the NCI so that the path forward will lead us
to a brighter future for the millions of people whose lives
have been touched by cancer.